Through the Fire
by elieg1ory
Summary: Robin can remember nothing, not even the fire that nearly claimed her life. She has no friends, no family that is missing her. What she does have, however, is the brave firefighter that saved her life, and his large circle of friends that have welcomed her with open arms as they try to piece together her mysterious life. [Modern AU, Chrom x F!MU, multiple other pairings.]
1. Prologue: Pulled From The Flames

**Through The Fire**

~x~

Summary: Robin can remember nothing, not even the fire that nearly claimed her life. She has no friends, no family that is missing her. What she does have, however, is the brave firefighter that saved her life, and his large circle of friends that have welcomed her with open arms as they try to piece together her mysterious life. When she runs into a face that recognizes her, however, she quickly learns that maybe her memories would be better left in the ashes. [Chrom x F!Robin, multiple other pairings.]

~x~

**Prologue: Pulled From the Flames**

The fire alarm didn't work. She hadn't thought to check the batteries in it when she moved in a couple days ago, partially because the landlord promised that he had tested it just a few weeks prior and she had believed him. So as the smoke spread up to the third floor, she was still sleeping peaceful in the bed she was quickly growing to despise. It was too lumpy, too old.

It wasn't until thick black smog was clouding her lungs that she finally coughed her way to consciousness. For a few seconds, she could only lay there and cough, wondering if she was coming down with something. When she opened her eyes and it was almost as dark did she realize something had gone terribly wrong. Her skin felt too hot to hers, and she kicked the covers off only to find that the air was not much better. _Fire?_ Realizing that whatever was happening could not be good, she swung her legs over the bed, feet hitting what should have been cold floor. It was hot to the touch, almost burning, and she reached for a nearby pair of slippers. Coughing, she ducked down and made her way to the door, thankful she had forgotten to close it before she went to bed.

The living room was not much better, though it wasn't quite as dense. One hand covering her mouth, she made her way over to the door only to grab the handle and burn her hand. Yelping, she pulled it back, feeling the skin bubble from just the few second contact. _Shit._ Desperately, she looked around for something she could break the door down with, but her apartment was bare. She had been moving in slowly, and most of her belongs was still in storage. Cursing, she ran to the kitchen and carefully turned the cold water on, dunking her head beneath it.

It did little to help clear her eyes or throat, but it was a start. Taking a wet rag, she returned to the door and used the rag as a buffer between her hand and the hot metal, yanking. The wood was swollen from the heat, however, and it quickly became apparent that it would not be opening easily. Cursing again, she backed away as the whole door began to smoke. The fire must have spread, was working on taking her only way out.

Fear sunk in then and she turned on her heel and rushed back to her bedroom, grabbing a lamp on her way. Coughing, she threw the lamp at the window with as much strength as she could muster, satisfied with the shattering glass. "Help!" she screamed, sticking her head out. That proved to be less than ideal, as all the smoke was trying to escape out the opening, and she found herself choking on the smog. "H-help!" she tried again, voice weak and cracking. She could almost see the lights of a fire truck flashing within the smog, and she tried to wave, to get their attention. "Help…"

Feeling hopeless, she sunk to the ground, knees hitting the few shards of broken glass. Would no one know she was here? _All I wanted was to know my parents,_ she thought, body too hot to produce tears. _I came all this way so I could meet them._

Somewhere, she was aware that there was a crash coming from the living room. Feeling weak, she lifted her head and saw that the door had fallen, orange flames licking at the wood. She kept her eyes up, however, noticing a yellow mass standing in the middle of the doorway. "Ma'am!"

Her eyes widened, and she desperately reached for him. "H-help," she begged weakly, coughing. The firefighter was by her side in an instant, kneeling next to her.

"Can you walk?" he asked gently, voice muffled by the large helmet he was wearing. She tried to pull herself up, but the heat was too great and she was having trouble focusing on anything. He seemed to know what she was trying to say and, with one glance over his shoulder, began to shrug out of his heavy coat. "I'm going to carry you, alright? You're going to be just fine."

She didn't resist as he pulled the coat over her shoulders, making sure it was secure around her before scooping her into his arms. She thought she saw him take a deep breath and then he took off, running full speed towards the fire. "Keep your head against my chest to protect yourself from the flames," he instructed. She did as she was told, tucking her head against his chest, eyes burning even as she clenched them shut. She could feel her mind beginning to slip, demanding to give into the blanket of nothingness.

"Hold in there, we're almost out!" he called to her as they swiveled around the staircase. She didn't respond, feeling one of her hands slip off her stomach and hanging down next to her. "Don't you die on me!"

Before she could register what had happened, the heat suddenly stopped, replaced by a gentle breeze. Her skin still burned, still scorched and she didn't know if it would ever really cool down. "Chrom!" someone yelled, their voice sounding far away. "Is she—"

"She needs attention!" the man carrying her yelled, and she thought she heard people speaking as they passed. Why were they talking? Her body suddenly hit something soft and her head lolled to the side. "Hey, stay with me," someone kept saying. "Get a ventilator, she's breathed in too much smoke!"

_Mother…father…_

She thought that someone was touching her, pressing something cool and hard against her cheek, but the nothingness was too great, too much, and she felt herself slowly begin to slip down, down, down, the voice of the firefighter still ringing in her ear, begging her not to go.

~x~

Author's Note: Tada! I hope you guys like it so far, even though I know it was relatively short. This is my second Fire Emblem story, my first multi-chapter story, so I hope you guys like it!  
I'll try to have the first actual chapter up relatively soon, but please tell me what you think of this one!


	2. Chapter 1: Waking Up

Through the Fire

~x~

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm very sorry for the delay, I got pretty busy with work and school and such, but now it's summer and my laptop is fully functioning again! Woo! This chapter is a lot longer than the first, so I hope you guys all like it!

~x~

**Chapter One: Waking Up**

It was the nothing that woke her up. A frighteningly endless expanse of absolute nothingness and it was so unnatural, her eyes fluttered open instinctively, searching for anything more. She was met with a bright flash of light as her eyes began to adjust, blinking several times to help speed the process along. Vision faded in, and she found herself staring at a white tiled ceiling. Slowly, the other senses began to catch up. She was lying in a clean bed with crisp sheets loosely draped over her, something hard and plastic pressed against her cheeks over her mouth; there was the sound of talking far away and the whir of machinery close by; the air was cool and smelled clean; her skin felt strange, as if she was suddenly very aware that she had skin at all.

_A hospital?_ She moved her head to the side, glancing at the door. Her vision was blocked by something clear, and her eyes went cross trying to look at it. _A ventilator?_ Feeling nervous for reasons she couldn't quite place, she slowly began to sit up, careful not to move any of the wires that she was hooked up to. _What happened?_

The question appeared in mind and she expected an answer to soon follow. Nothing came. Her brow furrowed a little as she tried to think of something, anything, that would explain why she was in a hospital.

The only answer that came was silence.

Suddenly, she became very aware that there was _nothing_ there. She blinked, pulling her hands from under the blanket and looking at them. They seemed strange, foreign. _Why do my hands look foreign?_ Desperate now, she tried to sift through her thoughts, tried frantically to recall her name, why she was here, what had happened to make her skin look so pink.

Nothing.

The more she tried, the more her head hurt, but she refused to stop. There had to be something hidden in this void, she reasoned. There was – she knew that she was in a hospital, knew what a hospital was and who worked there, she knew that the color of the door was a light brown with a silver metal handle, she knew that the bed she was in had been recently washed as was standard procedure in a hospital. She knew that the sky was blue and the grass was green and that every human in the world perceived color differently because of the way the rods in the eyes formed, she knew that she was female because of the curve of her chest and the emptiness between her thighs. She could tell you the names of every country on the continent, when they formed and what sort of government they had.

But she could not recall her name, nor could she remember how she had come to learn all of that. Her head kept pounding the more she tried, and she dimly heard a heart monitor speed up as panic fully took over. _I have to get out of here!_ She mentally screamed, yanking the plastic off her face and was just about to tear the small circle holding the heart monitor in place when the door suddenly opened.

"Hey there," said a young woman. She had bright green eyes and gentle blonde hair, dressed in yellow scrubs. The nurse smiled a little, but when she saw the frantic look in her eyes, she stopped. "It's okay," she said softly. "Do you know where you are?"

The girl blinked. She hadn't considered whether or not she would be able to speak. Nervously, her lips parted and she nodded. "A hospital," she answered, voice sounding weak. The sound of her own voice startled her in a way that she knew it shouldn't, like a deaf man with his new cochlear implant. "Why?"

The nurse frowned. "You don't remember?" she asked gently. Silence. "My name is Lissa," she introduced instead, pushing the door open until it clicked into place. "Let me go find the doctor for you for, alright?"

Lissa was gone before she could answer, and she slumped against the back of the bed. Lissa, Lissa. Nothing was coming to her, no matter how extensively she tried to put the name to something other than a fading image of the girls smiling face. She returned a moment later dragging in a woman that was clearly older than her, but not terribly old. "Hello, my name is Doctor Miriel," she said, eyes glancing up at her for a second before looking down at the clipboard in her hands. "Can you tell me your name?"

"No."

Lissa chuckled a little. "There's no need to be nervous," she said comfortingly, grinning. "Go ahead."

Before she could explain that she didn't know, couldn't even imagine what her name could be, a word suddenly floated out of the void. "Robin?" she said, blinking. Was that her name, or did she perhaps see a bird fly by the window? Neither hospital worker missed the way she said it; a question, not a statement.

"Your name is Robin?" Miriel asked, eyebrow raised. "You don't sound very sure."

"I don't…I can't remember anything," she explained softly. "The name just came to me."

A horrible pause filled the room as her words sunk in. "You don't…remember anything?" the doctor repeated slowly, looking at her over her glasses. She shook her head and she sighed, standing up. "We'll have to run some tests to test any damage to your brain. If there's nothing, we'll have to assume it is retrograde amnesia caused by the incident," she said, half to her and half to the nurse. Lissa nodded, offering her a sad smile.

"For now, we'll call you Robin, okay?" she said. "If you can remember anything else, just use the buzzer there to call in a nurse."

* * *

Several long hours and more tests than Robin cared to count later and she was finally back in the hospital bed. They determined that she could walk, her reading and writing abilities were fine, she remembered facts about history and science. But when they asked what grade she learned anything in, she had no answers. It was frustrating on both ends, to say the very least.

"One last thing," the doctor said, running over the clipboard once last time. Robin sighed, uncaring on whether she heard or not. She was exhausted, her head hurt, and she wasn't entirely convinced that whatever was happening couldn't be fixed with just a good nights' rest. "There's a woman here from the news station to take your picture."

"Why?" Robin asked curiously, eyes narrowing a little. Was this really an appropriate time for an interview? The doctor chuckled a little and explained that they needed to show her face on the news in case someone recognized her. She fidgeted a little, feeling a little uncomfortable at the notion of who-knew-how-many people seeing her face before she even had. They hadn't let her near a mirror yet, like they were worried the sudden shock of seeing her own face might cause problems.

The doctor only offered her one semi-reassuring smile before she rose to her feet and went to the door, beckoning someone in. Too tired to fidget anymore, Robin leaned against the bed as the lady appeared, a large camera around her neck. She greeted her, teeth a little too white and pretty brown hair, all smiles despite the tired look in her eyes. She only stayed for a little bit, chatting with the doctor while gently positioning Robin and flashing the camera a few times before scurrying off again, promising that it would air in the news that night.

The doctor left not too long after with the promise that a nurse would be back to check on her in a few hours. _Lot of promises tonight_, Robin mused, making herself comfortable. She debated on whether or not to sleep, get that good night's rest she kept thinking about. However, when she tried to lie down and close her eyes, she found that her exhaustion was not quite deep enough for actual sleep. Groaning, she sat back up.

Before she could decide what exactly she wanted to do to pass the time, Robin heard a soft knock on the door. Surprised, she turned, finding a tall young man standing in the doorway. The very first thing she noticed was that his hair was an impossible shade of – of all things – _blue_. He cleared his throat, smiling a little. "Hi," he said, hand dropping back down to his side. "May I come in?"

Robin blinked, a spark of hope igniting in her chest. _Maybe he knows me!_ "Y-yeah," she said quickly, realizing she had been staring. "Of course." He nodded and stepped in, heavy boots clunking on the tile. As he got closer, she noticed that he was covered in some sort of dirt, from the skin of his arms all the way to the dingy yellow of his pants. He took a seat next to her bed, and she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, I don't know if the nurses told you," she started to say, glancing down at her hands. "I don't remember anything."

The man nodded, his smile reassuring her. "I know. My little sister was in here earlier," he explained. "Lissa. Short, blonde nurse?"

Robin nodded, letting her eyes go across his features. "You don't look anything like her," she told him. The man laughed, and she couldn't help but join him a little. "You must get that a lot."

"Like you wouldn't believe," he told her with a lingering laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't think I ever introduced myself. I'm Chrom." He held his hand out for her, and the amnesiac reached forward to grasp it.

"Robin," she replied. His eyes widened just a little, and she quietly explained that the name, or word, had just come to her. "It's strange, but it fits, I think." Chrom nodded, though she suspected he had no idea what she meant. It did seem to fit, for reasons she wasn't sure how to explain.

For a few seconds, they sat in an almost awkward silence before something came to her; why was this stranger coming to visit her? Before she could ask, there was another small knock that grabbed her attention. "Oh! I see you found your way in," Lissa said cheerfully from the doorway, waving. The other two waved back and she joined Chrom in one of the chairs. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for the tests," she said to Robin with an apologetic smile. "How did everything go?"

Robin shrugged a little, wishing she had something to tell. "Well, I'm not stupid," she finally said. "But I still can't remember anything about myself."

The siblings offered her an apologetic smile, but she shrugged them off. The last thing she wanted was pity. "Has anything come back to you?" Lissa offered, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees.

"Nothing that goes beyond when I woke up here," she admitted, fidgeting a little under their stares. Chrom leaned back, a strange look going across his eyes for a flash. "They won't even tell me why I'm in here."

There was no mistaking the look they shared this time. For the first time, Robin began to wonder why Chrom had come to visit her, when Lissa had barely been around her all day. Her eyes narrowed a little bit, and she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps they knew something about herself they didn't want to share. "The doctors are hoping you'll be able to remember it yourself," Lissa explained. "Besides, this might just be temporary, you know? You could wake up tomorrow with a full memory!"

At that, she couldn't help but grin. "That's what I keep hoping," Robin told them. The three of them exchanged smiles for a second before Lissa rose to her feet.

"I'm sorry, I promised a friend that I would get dinner with her," she explained with an almost sheepish grin. "I'll see you tomorrow Chrom?" He nodded, and they waved as she left, blonde pigtails bouncing with her footsteps, leaving the two of them alone once more.

Chrom cleared his throat, running a hand through his messy hair and Robin once again found herself staring at the color. Did he dye it? "Oh, did you want to see the news tonight? I heard they were airing a little segment on you," he asked, nodding to the television hanging in the corner. For a minute, Robin considered. On one hand, she wasn't sure how to feel about being aired on television in the hopes someone might recognize her when she still didn't have any idea about what she looked like. But on the other…

"Yeah," she finally said, clenching her jaw just a little. He watched her for a second before getting up to turn it on, reaching up to make sure the station was right. The screen flickered before her for a few seconds before it settled on two rather pretty people sitting at a desk. Anchor-people.

"Yesterday evening, there was a reported fire at a small apartment complex on Eastdale Drive," the woman began, her eyes staring right into Robin's. "Fire fighters arrived on the scene immediately, and found almost everyone had already evacuated."

The screen changed suddenly, to the sight of the building. Or, rather, lack thereof. It seemed like the fire had managed to bring the whole complex down, though it didn't seem too large to begin with. The camera changed again, this time to a large fireman with dark brown hair and serious looking eyes. At the bottom of the screen, his name appeared. Officer Frederick. "These people were very smart in getting out there as quickly as possible," he said, voice deep even on camera. "It seems that the fire started on the first floor due to an electrical fire. Not only did it spread rapidly, it also caused several other electrical problems that contributed."

Robin blinked. There was something strange about seeing this segment. She could feel Chrom's eyes on her, but she couldn't look away, blinking in surprise as the blue-haired man sitting next to her suddenly appeared on the camera. "I saw something fall from the third floor window, and immediately went in to investigate," he was saying, gesturing behind him towards where the object may have fallen.

He disappeared as the camera once more began to show the wreckage of the building. "A young woman was pulled from the fire and is now currently at the hospital," one of the anchors was saying, face off screen. "She was treated with minor burns overnight and this morning, we received news that, although she will recover from the burns without issue, she is currently suffering from retrograde amnesia."

Robin felt her head start to ache a little as the view changed back to the anchors. On the side of the screen, a picture of a young girl with long white-blonde hair sitting in a hospital bed. Her skin looked pink with several bandages wrapped around where the burns must have been a little worse. "Doctors are requesting that, should anyone have any information on this woman, please contact the hospital at…"

"Is that me?" she suddenly asked, tearing her eyes away from the television to look at Chrom. He was already watching her, a sad smile on his face. "I was in a house fire?"

At that, his smile widened a little. "Yeah," he told her, voice calm. "The fire alarm didn't go off. I pulled you out last night."

So that was why he had come to visit. Robin looked down at her lap, staring at the hands that still looked a little too foreign to be hers. She felt as if she should be bombarding him with questions, asking if he knew anything about her, but nothing was presenting itself so she didn't. "Hopefully, someone will recognize you and come forth," he said instead, tone suggesting that he had no doubts that someone would be around within the next few days. "Until then, Lissa said that you'll stay here and recoup."

Robin nodded absently. She couldn't help but feel that it would be lonely, staying here in the hospital for some unknown amount of time, just hoping someone would see her picture. "Hey," Chrom said suddenly, and when she turned to face him, she found him grinning. "Lissa and I will come and keep you company when we can." She stared at him for a second before a smile broke through. It was like he read her thoughts. "I'm sure that it won't take that long, but I'm sure it wouldn't be very enjoyable to spend all that time by yourself, right?"

"Right," Robin agreed, laughing a little. "Well, thank you very much." He grinned and, after checking his watch, rose to his feet.

"I should let you get some rest," he explained. The amnesiac nodded, feeling a lot more exhausted than she thought she would. "I'll come by and visit tomorrow before my shift starts, alright?"

With one last nod and another thank you, Chrom left, carefully closing the door behind him. Robin stared at the door for a few seconds after he left, unable to determine if he was really just that kindhearted of a person or if he was taking pity on her because she had been in a house fire _and_ had amnesia.

Feeling too tired to really think too much more about it, she adjusted the pillows and laid down fully, reaching over to the switch near her bed and flicking the lights off. Yawning once, she let her eyes drift close, deciding that the first thing she was going to ask Chrom tomorrow was why he decided to color his hair to match his eyes.

~x~

Author's Note: Tada! Moving the story along just a little bit. I'm sorry if it was a little slow, things are definitely going to pick up as the story goes on. But yes! I hope you all enjoyed it, and I will definitely try to get the next chapter out a lot quicker than this one!


	3. Chapter 2: Meeting the Shepherds

Through The Fire

~x~

A/N: Hello again! Sorry again for taking so long, things have been pretty hectic on my end, but I haven't forgotten about this, I promise!

~x~

**Chapter Two: Meeting the Shepherds**

Nothing had changed when she woke the next morning. No sudden burst of memory, no head splitting moment of clarity. Just the same emptiness as before. The first few days were filled with more tests, each one coming up the same. There was no terrible injury hiding beneath her skull, nothing that would suggest the part of her brain that controls her memories had been damaged. There was just…nothing. Perhaps even worse than that, however, was that still no one had made any effort to come and 'claim' her. The third night she was there, an older man did come to her and explain that he was the landlord of the apartment complex she had been living in before the fire. He apologized repeatedly, saying that he really had thought the alarm was in working condition. When she asked if he could tell her anything, he bowed his head and explained that her files had been lost. The only thing that they had retrieved from her apartment was a large black coat with gold and purple markings going up and down it. Other than that, it seemed that she was alone. The news aired a small segment at the end of each time slot, however, as time went on, it eventually was taken off. A few of the nurses assured her that her face was still out there, but it didn't seem like there was anyone in town that knew who she was.

To that effect, Robin was told she would simply remain at the hospital until there was some change. They showed her to a lost and found where she could find clothes to wear, and her meals came free three times a day. Her room was moved out of the intensive care unit and into a more long-term setting. At first, she was a little miffed that they assumed she would be there for much longer, but when an entire week had passed with nothing, she settled into her a little room.

Life at the hospital was, to put it mildly, less than interesting. Robin found that she was not allowed to leave the premise, at least not while she remained painfully unaware of who she was, but she could go anywhere in the building, which was a bit better. She most often found herself wandering, talking walks in the courtyard to get fresh air. When the weather was bad, Robin usually found herself in the library, reading up on whatever caught her eye that afternoon.

It certainly wasn't the ideal way of living, but it was comfortable and she had free access to most everything in the hospital and grounds. So long as she didn't leave the premise, no one seemed to care what she did.

Still, it was rather lonely by herself. Doctor Miriel stopped visiting after the first several days and now sent her assistant – a young boy named Ricken – in daily for a checkup. Her saving graces included visits from Lissa as often as possible. Even when she brought her best friend, Maribelle, who seemed as if she disliked everyone who wasn't Lissa. Ricken sometimes came as well, and she quickly learned that they were all good friends in school. Miriel, too, though she was a bit older and much more serious than the three younger ones.

Her other saving grace came in the form of a certain blue-haired firefighter. Chrom came to visit frequently, sometimes directly after work. He was good company, and he was her best source for what was going on outside the hospital. Oftentimes, he told her about his friends, or about the latest fire he had been called for. It had only been about two and a half weeks, but Robin already considered him a close friend.

One particular morning, as she was tidying up the room – she didn't feel comfortable letting the nurses clean up after her like she was a child – humming some lost melody to herself when she heard Chrom's voice float through the hallway. "I know it's frustrating, Lissa, but there's nothing we can do," he was saying. Robin perked up a little – the young nurse had been quite happy during her morning visit, but judging by the almost soothing tone of Chrom's voice, that might change.

"But we planned a whole party!" Lissa said, the sad tone of her voice startling Robin a little bit. Lissa was always so cheerful, it was strange to hear her sound sullen. "Is there any chance she can come back, just for the afternoon?" Chrom didn't respond, but his silence seemed to be enough for an answer. "When will she be back?"

"She couldn't say," Chrom said gently. "Gangrel is being especially difficult this time around, so it could take another few weeks."

"Few weeks?!"

At Lissa's exclamation, Robin tentatively stepped out of the room, not wishing to eavesdrop any further. "Chrom, Lissa? Is everything alright?" she asked softly, watching them carefully. The siblings looked up, the older one looking tired and apologetic, the younger sad and angry.

Chrom noticed her first, offering her a slight smile before turning back to his sister. Before either of them could rely, the blonde gave one final 'hmph!' and stormed off, brushing past Chrom and turning the corner. With a lingering look at his sister, the firefighter turned back to Robin, scratching the back of his head. "I had to be the bearer of some bad news," he explained.

"What happened?"

"Our older sister is away on business and she was supposed to return tomorrow morning, but she called last night and told me she can't make it," he explained, eyes darkening a little bit. "And now she doesn't know when she'll be back."

Robin blinked. "You have an older sister?" she asked curiously, eyebrows crinkling together. "Does she also have blue hair?"

Chrom laughed, and the amnesiac found herself pleased to have lightened the mood some. She had asked about his blue hair on his second visit, to which he told her, with some amusement, that it was entirely natural. "No," he said, smirking. "She looks like Lissa."

"Really? Where do you get the blue hair from?"

"I take after our father. They take after our mother."

She nodded, trying to imagine what their parents must have looked like. So the blue hair was a genetic trait? "What does she do that causes her to be away for so long?" she asked politely, curious about this mysterious older sister. They hadn't talked about her before, though Robin suspected that it simply hadn't come up. "Is she a business woman?"

There was no mistaking the smirk that passed Chrom's eyes. "Of sorts," he said with a chuckle. "You've seen the news coverage about Lady Emmeryn meeting in Plegia with King Gangrel, right?" He waited patiently for her to nod; she hadn't watched much of the coverage, but the names did sound familiar. "Emmeryn is our older sister."

"What?!"

Emmeryn – or Lady Emmeryn as she was most often referred to as – was the single most important political name in the country of Ylisse. Her family dated back at least two thousand years, and they had held power with almost no resistance for that entire span. First a monarchy by heritage, the government had slowly changed into a democracy – but even still, their family maintained power with each election. And if Chrom and Lissa were her younger siblings –

"That would make you and Lissa basically royalty!" Robin said, eyes wide. Chrom laughed again, waving away her statement as if it were nothing. "What on earth are you doing as a firefighter?"

"My family is still technically in power, sure, but it's not like we're actually royalty anymore," Chrom pointed out gently. "Times change. Every time the Exalt chooses to retire, it turns to the people to vote on their next leader."

Robin nodded, already knowing that bit of information. "Yes, but there hasn't been anyone other than your family that's won since these elections started!" she pointed out, still flustered. Chrom shrugged.

"That choice goes to the people," he said again, eyes softening. "And Emmeryn makes a magnificent Exalt."

Still digesting that bit of information, the firefighter gently pulled her elbow and began to lead her, presumably to the cafeteria for lunch. As they talked, Robin curiously asked questions about his family, if they still lived in a castle – technically not. Where did they live then – Emmeryn and Lissa remained in the family house, he lived with a friend. Why he decided to join the firefighters – because he had little interest in politics. And a myriad of other questions that she couldn't quite contain. Thankfully, Chrom was patient with his answers, understanding that it must have come as a shock to someone who remembered very little.

"So, what is Lady Emmeryn doing in Plegia?" she asked, joining him on the buffet floor as he picked his lunch.

For the first time, Chrom's eyes darkened and Robin had to wonder if she had pried too far. "It's an annual arrangement," he explained stiffly. "Our father, the previous Exalt, and the previous King spent many years at war. Once our father passed, and Emmeryn took the role, she put an end to it as quickly as she could. In order to prevent another war from breaking out, she and the King meet each year to discuss any problems they may be having with one another in order to alleviate them before it turns to war again." Robin nodded. It was a good means to prevent war. "However," Chrom added bitterly, slamming down a pair of tongs a little too rough. "A new king was appointed recently, and he is being less than agreeable with their meeting."

"Right. King…Gangrel, right?"

Chrom nodded. "Crazy King Gangrel, as he is often referred," he said, a hint of a smile playing at his lips as they took their seats. "The other leader was not often kind in his demands, but he was reasonable with negotiations. Gangrel has so far refused to back down from any of his early demands, and has only added more during the two weeks they've already been together, so Emm tells me. Normally, these meetings last no more than two weeks, and every year, Lissa and I plan a barbecue for her when she returns to help her relax from the stress."

The amnesiac nodded slowly, watching as Chrom sighed once more and picked up his hamburger. "And now you have to cancel it," she guessed, remembering Lissa's pleas from earlier. He nodded, mouth still full. "No wonder Lissa was upset."

He swallowed. "Right. And I can't ask everyone to reschedule since many of them had to plan the day off some time in advance. But at the same time…"

"It wouldn't feel right without the guest of honor," Robin finished, sighing sympathetically. Again, he nodded, and the two fell quiet. Robin wished, again, that she could say something to make the situation better, but she knew that she could not as so she remained quiet.

As he was finishing up, a small figure appeared at the edge of their table, hands on her dainty hips. "Chrom," Lissa said, sniffling a little. Both sets of eyes turned up to her, and neither missed the way her eyes were still a little red and her cheeks were flushed. "You haven't called anyone and cancelled, have you?"

"Not yet," the almost-prince said, looking at her curiously. "I thought you would want to be the first to know."

Lissa nodded, wiping her nose. Though she still seemed rather upset, there was a new glint to her eyes that Robin had quickly come to recognize as an idea brewing. "Good," she said, sniffling again. "I think I have a good idea for what we can do."

Chrom leaned back a little, taking in his sister with a slight apprehension. Robin guessed that he had heard those words a little too often to trust them blindly. "And what's that?" he asked, careful tone confirming her suspicion.

"What if we still have it, and invite Robin along?"

* * *

Robin had come to realize that whenever Lissa turned those bright green eyes on her, there was little she could do to resist. There was just something about the way she batted her eyelashes at her that made the amnesiac's heart melt a little. That, and besides, she had made a very good point. It would allow her to leave the hospital, if only for the day, where she could finally get a better handle of where she was.

So, sure, she was planning on spending a nice afternoon at Chrom and Lissa's family home with all of their friends, but she was also desperate for something other than the sterile walls of the hospital.

When Lissa came to retrieve her, she came bearing a plain black swimsuit, grinning. "Tada!" she said cheerfully, oblivious to a slight blush that had crept onto Robin's cheeks. "I forgot to tell you there's a pool, but I went out and got this for you!" she explained. "I hope it fits!"

"I wish you had gone with my suggestions, darling," came the bored sounding voice of Maribelle, appearing behind her. "Nothing is so unflattering as a plain black swimsuit."

With the two younger girls still bickering, Ricken gestured for her to follow. "They've been arguing the whole way over," he explained. "Better to just follow along." Robin nodded, feeling more than a little nervous about the upcoming barbecue. She was excited about finally leaving the hospital, if only temporary, but the prospect of suddenly being thrust into the backyard with who-even-knew how many strangers was a little daunting. But, Lissa and Chrom had assured her they would be pleasant company, and she trusted their judgement, if nothing else.

Her nervousness was soon swept away as they filed into Miriel's car, kindly allowing Robin the front seat so she had the best view as they drove. The conversation faded into the background as soon as they left the parking lot, allowing Robin to finally, _finally_, take a look at the city she was calling home.

The first thing she noticed was that everything looked old, with worn looking sun-bleached buildings towering over them. Eyes wide, she rolled down the window, enjoying the way the wind felt on her face, smiling into the fresh air. "This city is massive," she commented with a poorly disguised sense of awe. Behind her, Lissa giggled a little, but Robin chose to ignore her, enjoying the view. Even more impressive than that came when they began the drive up to what Robin could only assume was the wealthiest neighborhood in the city.

The houses here made her little room in the hospital seem like a cardboard box. "Wow," she whispered, unable to tear her eyes off the mansions that loomed at the end of winding driveways. And at the very top of the road…

"Is _that_ your _house_?!" cried Robin, staring at the castle that loomed before them. "I knew you guys were wealthy, but _really_?!"

Lissa laughed again, opening the door and sliding out. "Welcome to the old Ylisse royal house! Also known as my family house!" she said, holding her hand toward it. Robin slowly left the car, eyes and mouth agape at the castle before her. "Come on, everyone's probably waiting for us."

Still trying to wrap her mind around this castle - for, whatever Chrom has said otherwise, that was what this was - Robin followed in a slight haze. All these years, and their family had kept the same _castle_ they had first ruled over when their government was still a firm monarchy. "This is amazing," she breathed, trying to take it all in. Maribelle scoffed a little, but otherwise kept quiet as they walked around the side of the house.

"I'll give you a tour later, okay?" the blonde said happily, rushing ahead a little to open the gate. "But, for now, I hope you're ready for the barbecue!"

The backyard was every bit as large and beautiful as Robin imagined it was going to be. A nice, spacious patio of white marble, what looked like real-wood patio furniture littering the deck, complete with a swimming-pool sized hot tub built into the ground. Around the yard stood a mess of people, some playing catch with a football, others relaxing in plush chairs, and most of them in the almost Olympian-sized pool. "Robin!" called Chrom from the pool, blue hair pushed back and away from his face. "Hey!"

In a few minutes, he was before them, dripping onto the smooth stones. "Welcome!" he said with a grin, waving at Miriel and Ricken. Robin smiled a little, his grin infectious. "Lissa got you a bathing suit, right?"

"Y-yeah," she said, still overwhelmed from the size and wonders of their house. Chrom grinned, gesturing for her to follow him as the others scattered. "I wasn't expecting your house to be so…so…"

Chrom laughed, leading her onto the pool deck. "Hey, guys! Come and meet Robin!" At his words, everyone turned towards them, blinking for a second before grinning and calling to her. They walked around, Chrom and Lissa introducing her to everyone.

By the time they were done, Robin had met more than twenty of his friends, including Police Captain Flavia and Fire Chief Basilio, each of which asked what group of civil servants were better; a man with long blue hair that immediately started talking about how her eyes shone like the stars above; two beautiful young woman with waist length hair that blushed when Chrom was near; and a man with spiked blond hair that ignored her completely to challenge Chrom to a duel.

It was overwhelming, but not necessarily in a bad way.

"I'll take her to go get changed," volunteered Lissa as they were finished introducing her. She smiled up at the amnesiac and took her hand, off before she could reply. "So, what'd ya' think?"

Robin couldn't help but smile at her friends eagerness. "They seem very nice," she replied, thankful that Lissa had grabbed her hand. Thankfully, the blonde didn't take her too far into the house – apparently castles came with a bathroom around every corner – and even promised to wait here for her. "Ah, no, I think I should be alright to find my way back," she said with a smile. Lissa nodded, waved once and then disappeared to probably push her brother in the pool or something. The thought left her grinning as she closed the door behind her, not at all surprised that that bathroom was something straight out of a magazine catalogue.

It didn't take her long to change, but Robin couldn't help but stare at her reflection for a while longer. It was still a shock to see her own face staring back at her, and though she knew that she should be used to it, Robin hated that the first emotion that went through her mind was still surprise. Sighing, she gathered up her clothes back in the bag Lissa had carried the bathing suit in before going to open the door.

"A-ah!" someone called, followed shortly by a rather loud thud. Robin's eyes widened, and she stepped around the door, finding one of the party guests sprawled out before her, rubbing her forehead. "S-sorry!"

Robin blinked as the realization of what happened sunk in. "Did I hit you with the door?" she asked, reaching to help her up. "Gods, I am so sorry! Are you alright?"

The girl waved her worries away, taking her hand gratefully. "Yes, everything's fine," she said, but her forehead still looked quite red from her hit. "I should really be more careful, I know." Robin shook her head, but the girl was insistent. "I'm such a klutz," she explained.

"Well, so long as you're alright," the amnesiac said guiltily. The girl grinned and reassured her before re-introducing herself as Sumia.

"It's so nice to finally meet you! Chrom and Lissa talk about you all the time, and when Lissa told us you were coming, we were all so happy!" she said happily, pushing some of her long brown hair out of her eyes. "I was actually just coming to make sure you were alright, I saw you come in with Lissa and then Lissa left without you, so I wanted to make sure she didn't leave you to get lost." Robin laughed a little, explaining that she had told Lissa to go ahead without her. "Oh! That's good then."

The two slowly made their way outside, keeping up idle chatter as they did so. Sumia was shy, but pleasant to talk to and Robin found herself relaxing a little more. If everyone was like this, then maybe it wasn't so scary after all.

She had hardly made it two feet onto the deck when she nearly ran into Chrom, dripping wet again. He stopped just in time, a little breathless. "Is everything okay, Captain?" asked Sumia with a slight giggle.

He grinned at the two of them. "Vaike just called for a game of chicken."

~x~

Author's Note: Woo! Haha, I know a lot of you were asking for longer chapters, but I think this is a nice place to stop. Don't worry, the party will continue next chapter! And now that everyone's appeared (if not by name) then the romance can start! :D Either way, I hope that you all like it, and I will try to get the next one out a little quicker than before!


	4. Chapter 3: New Beginnings

Through The Fire

~x~

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! I know this isn't quite that long, but I hope you like it anyways!

~x~

**Chapter Three: New Beginnings**

"Chicken?" asked Robin, blinking at her friend. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sumia blush a little, but Chrom was either oblivious or didn't care, as he grabbed her wrist and began to pull her forward. Behind his shoulder, he told Sumia that Frederick had been looking for her as a partner. "Chrom, wait," Robin tried to say, more than a little flustered.

He only grinned behind him, stopping at the gate and holding it open for her. "Would you do me the honor of being my partner?" he asked, blue eyes twinkling. Just like with his sister, the amnesiac found that she couldn't quite resist him, and finally relented. "Great! We'll show them who the real champs are!"

Everyone was pairing up. Robin saw Ricken begging Maribelle to play; Lissa dragging a burly looking man she recognized as Lon'qu towards the pool; even serious Dr. Miriel was explaining the concept of the game to a rather beautiful man. Seemed like everyone was ready to go. "Yo, Blue!" someone called from the pool, and when Robin instinctively turned, she found him sucking on a lollipop. "With all these people, maybe we should do it tourney style?"

Chrom considered for a second before nodding. Frederick, appearing behind him with the blushing Sumia whistled loudly, calling everyone to attention. Chrom quickly explained how it was going to work, with Captains Basillio and Flavia – last years' reigning champions – worked as the judges. "First up, Ricken and Maribelle versus Frederick and Sumia!" announced Flavia, calling for everyone to either stay in the deep end or get to the edge so they'd have room. Robin stayed by Chrom's side, unsure of how exactly to play.

Both boys ducked underwater while their partners positioned themselves on top. When the boys surfaced, the girls were sitting on top of their shoulders. "The goal is to push one of them down. When the bottom loses their footing, they lose," Chrom explained as the two of them began advancing towards each other. Frederick looked down at the smaller boy almost impassively, and it was over with just one good push from Sumia. Ricken slipped and he and Maribelle fell into the water, separating before they resurfaced. Some of the others cheered, but Maribelle looked appalled that she could have ever lost, crossing her arms against her chest and storming out of the pool with Ricken close behind her.

As the next groups – a white-haired man named Henry and a sullen looking young woman named Tharja for one team and the blonde who had challenged Chrom to a duel, Vaike, and a small looking girl Robin thought was named Nowi - took their places, the amnesiac found herself grinning along with everyone else, even cheered as the two girls struggled to toppled each other. "Come on, Vaike," Chrom teased, laughing as the man slipped. Henry took advantage of his vulnerability and rammed Tharja into them, successfully pushing them over and over into the water. Robin laughed along with the others as they surfaced, all laughter and over-dramatic speeches about their loss.

For the most part, the teams were relatively evenly matched. Robin tried to keep track of everyone; Lissa and Lon'qu, Donnel and Panne, Kellam and Sully, Stahl and Cordelia, Olivia and Gaius, Virion and Cherche…

"Chrom and Robin versus Libra and Miriel!" Flavia called as Cherche fell beneath the water. For the first time, Robin felt a pit settle in her stomach, but Chrom wasted no time in pulling her into the cool water and towards the shallower end. In a flash, he ducked under the water and, blushing quite magnificently, Robin positioned herself atop his shoulders the way she had seen others do. When he came back up, she grabbed his head to keep herself on, her blush not once fading.

Before them stood Libra and Miriel, both well into adulthood and staring at them with calculating eyes. "Ready? Set…go!" called Flavia. As both Chrom and Libra began to move, each one trying to be careful, Robin felt herself instinctively squeeze her legs a little to help keep her balance. She saw Miriel's lips moving, probably whispering instructions to her partner to help. Once they were close enough, Robin reached and grabbed her arms, trying to push her off. However, the doctor's grip was stronger than she expected, and she couldn't seem to get herself free. Beneath them, Chrom and Libra were trying to angle themselves to better help. Robin could feel his hands gripping her legs, keeping her in place and tried a different tactic.

Slipping her arms out of Miriel's grasp, she went for her shoulder, hoping to unbalance them. Libra stepped back, however, catching his footing. With one great charge, Miriel slammed into Robin, and she felt herself start to fall backwards.

Her only thought as the feeling of falling hit her stomach was that she had failed Chrom, but her back never hit the water. Around them, her friends cheered, and she realized that Chrom had managed to keep her on his shoulders and above the water rather than let her fall. Fortunately for them, Libra and Miriel hadn't realized quite yet that they were not the ones being cheered for. "Go!" Robin cried as Chrom moved towards them as fast as he could in the water.

Robin slammed into Miriel, hands grabbing her arms and pushing as hard as she could. She watched as Miriel's eyes grew wide as Libra was caught by surprise, struggling to grab his footing before finally slipping, sending him and Miriel beneath the waters surface. The cheers that went up upon their victory were immense, and even Chrom gave a happy 'yes!'. "We did it!" he cried, releasing her legs and throwing his fists into the air. Robin laughed, one hand joining his in the air and the other still gripping his head to keep her balance.

As the others surfaced, they thanked them for a good match. The winners grinned before Chrom dipped beneath the water and let Robin climb off. Her legs stuck to his shoulders a little bit, but she quickly swam away, still grinning at their victory. "Alright! Next bracket is – Frederick and Sumia versus Henry and Tharja! Lon'qu and Lissa versus Cordelia and Stahl! And Gaius and Olivia versus Chrom and Robin!" Basillio announced, voice booming over the party. Taking that as their indication to move out of the way, the two moved back to where they had waited.

"That was so cool, Robin!" Lissa said happily, splashing a little water in her excitement. Robin grinned back at her, rubbing the back of her neck a little bit. Chrom cleared his throat a little, causing his sister to roll her eyes. "I guess you were a little cool too, Chrom."

While they waited for their turn, Robin took the time to study her potential opponents. Frederick, while unyielding even in the water, moved slowly. Sumia seemed nervous but determined, managing to get an edge on Tharja and tip her over with one great heave. Henry and Tharja, on the other hand, seemed to move fluidly together, as if they had been working together for quite some time. Sumia cheered as they fell to the water, losing her balance and sliding off Frederick's shoulders. She reemerged in a second, cheeks flushed but laughing all the same.

"Is Sumia always so…clumsy?" Robin asked Chrom softly as the victors moved away so that the next four could take their spot. He laughed in response for a moment before fondly explaining that she had been a klutz for her entire life. "You've been friends that long?"

"Yeah," he said, looking out at everyone. "Most have all known each other since we were children." Robin nodded slowly, her eyes pausing over Lon'qu, Lissa, Cordelia, and Stahl as they took their places. Like Frederick, Lon'qu was steady and sure, and Lissa seemed a great deal more confident. Cordelia and Stahl had more height than the others, but in the end, Lon'qu's ability to keep his footing ultimately won them the match.

"Yo Blue, I'll throw the match if you toss me some of that candy Lissa hides around the house," Gaius called as they made their way over. Next to him – Olivia, she presumed – stammered out a plea for him not to give up so easily. "Aw, alright. What the lady says, goes." Chrom only smirked, following his example and dipping beneath the water so Robin could climb on.

Now that she was a little more used to the idea of her thighs resting on Chrom's shoulders, Robin found no embarrassment as he came up from underwater. Olivia, on the other hand, was painted red and seemed unwilling to even look down at her partner. As the captains called the match, Chrom charged forward, clearly hoping to catch them off guard. While Olivia was nervous, Gaius was suave, and he quickly managed to sidestep. "That all you got, Bubbles?" he teased as Robin's hand skimmed across the water.

Pushing the nickname away for now, Robin reached out and grabbed Olivia's narrow arms. She fought back with more resistance than expected; she was not to be underestimated it seemed. In the end, however, she had the advantage of confidence and Chrom's steady movements and the pink haired girl soon fell in the water. Robin slid off his back again, laughing as she submerged for a second, pushing her long hair back and away from her eyes. "Good match," she said to the losers, all grins. Neither of them seemed disappointed, though Gaius kept muttering something about 'just going in and taking what he could find'. Whatever that meant.

"Alright! Since we now come down to three remaining teams, I have decided to let you all battle each other rather than give someone a bye!" Captain Flavia called, smirking. "Whoever is the last one standing is the winner and goes up against this old oaf and I for the champion title!"

A new sense of nerves filled Robin as she got into position. Frederick would not go down easily, and neither would Lon'qu. Both of them were sturdier than bricks, and she quietly hoped that Chrom's skillful movements might be enough to counter them.

"Good luck Robin!" Lissa called, waving happily at her. "You too, Sumia! May the best team win!"

"Which will, of course, be us," Frederick said evenly. She went to pout, but was cut off as Basillio whistled loudly with his fingers. Taking that as the beginning, the three teams started to step forward.

Sumia smacked into Robin before she could formulate a plan, but judging by the squeaked 'sorry!' she assumed it was more of a slip than a tactic. The amnesiac went to push her, but felt Lissa's hand wrap around her other arm and worked to try and pull it out. They were all close together, with the boys calling out for them to 'be careful!' or some other words of encouragement. Lon'qu, however, seemed to be getting more and more flushed the longer they stayed interlocked, giving Robin an idea.

Focusing all attention on Lissa, she kept leaning forward, forcing Chrom to move closer to keep their balance and move her closer. As suspected, Lon'qu didn't appear to enjoy being in such close proximity to unfamiliar females, and he was quickly brought down as his resolve faded.

She gave Chrom no time to celebrate. Robin quickly turned back to Sumia, who had paused to watch her in amusement for a second and was not expecting an immediate attack. Chrom seemed to understand her intention, moving with the turns of her torso with no resistance, crashing into Frederick and Sumia. With another giant heave, Robin managed to push the girl down, struggling to keep her own balance as a result. Chrom's hands grabbed her legs, keeping her in place, and then cheered when she stopped swaying.

"Our turn!"

Before they could really enjoy their victory, the two looked to the other end of the pool, surprised to see the Captains already in position and advancing towards them. Basillio was built like Frederick, if not a little larger, and Flavia was certainly not one to mess with. "Watch out!" Chrom called as Flavia's hands grabbed Robin's wrists before she could pull them out of her grasp. The two struggled for a moment as the bottom two circled around, moving with the flow of Flavia and Robin's bodies to keep them steady.

Robin looked over Flavia, trying to spot some sort of weakness. She was, of course, at a severe disadvantage. They had experience and knowledge of their opponent, while she hadn't even paid attention to them getting in the pool. And Flavia was just as strong as the captain of the fire department should be. "Hey, you're quite good at this," Flavia commented as Robin managed to get her wrists out of her hands.

Deciding that her usual tactics might not work, Robin gently nudged Chrom forward with her leg, hoping he'd get the idea. He did; hands gripping her legs tightly as he let out a mock war cry and slammed into Basillio. More importantly, Robin slammed shoulder-first into Flavia, dropping all attempts at a smooth push-over. The older woman was taken off guard at the sudden offensive attack, and Basillio certainly hadn't been expecting Chrom to suddenly – and quite literally – throw himself and Robin at him. After a second of attempting to regain his balance, they finally collapsed into the water with a giant splash, leaving only Chrom and Robin standing.

Immediately, they broke into cheers. "We did it!" Chrom cried, pumping one fist in the air. Robin laughed and did the same, heart racing in her chest. As the captains separated and came up, they laughed as well, congratulating them on a good match.

"Excellent teamwork," Flavia commented with a nod. "I don't remember the last time I've seen Chrom work so fluidly with another person like that." He rolled his eyes as Robin slid down again, thankful for the water to cool her racing heart.

The rest of the party moved back into the pool then, starting up various other games or otherwise just swimming around. Robin was led by Lissa to play some ball throwing game she had made up, and she quickly lost track of Chrom amid the excitement.

Robin lost herself in the party for the next several hours. She had no problems fitting in with Chrom and Lissa's friends, enough to even consider them her own as well. Whatever nerves she might have had coming in were gone as she settled into their conversations and games. She spent much of the time floating between people, occasionally finding her way back to Chrom or Lissa before being called elsewhere. Even when they started up fire – a massive, Boy Scout worthy fire – she found herself sitting with Olivia, Sumia, and Cordelia as they discussed some of the more beautiful flowers they were hoping to start selling soon.

She listened with polite interest, not sharing in their passion for flowers but interested nonetheless. "So, Robin, any idea when you'll be able to leave the hospital?" Olivia asked after a while, looking over Sumia's lap. Her cheeks immediately darkened, even under the orange glow of the fire and the setting sun. "U-uh, I mean, if that's not, you know, too personal or anything!"

"No, you're fine," assured Robin, offering her a quick smile. "I don't know. Miriel and Lissa say they can't dischange me until I either remember something more, or someone who knows me comes to 'claim' me." She didn't bother hiding her disagreement as she spoke, knowing that Lissa was, at the very least, sympathetic to her situation.

"That just seems so backwards," offered Cordelia, frowning. "I mean, really, how are you suspected to regain any memories at all if you're locked up in the hospital?"

Robin nodded, sharing her feelings. It was something she thought of most every day. "Wouldn't that be great if you could come stay with us?" Sumia said with a laugh. "But, I guess we wouldn't really qualify since we've only just met."

A little ways away, Robin watched Lissa jump to her feet and scamper off somewhere. She thought she saw that determined glint in her eyes, but it could have just been the fire reflecting off her large eyes. "It would be nice," she agreed with a smile. "But, until something more happens, I guess I'm stuck there."

The conversation shifted away from Robin's current living conditions – thankfully – and back to Sumia and Cordelia's flower shop. She let her thoughts drift as she listened, keeping with the flow of the bonfire. At some point, Sumia got up and went to sit next to Chrom, and Robin soon found that her eyes could not stop drifting over to where they sat. It was pretty apparent that the shy girl had a crush on him – though perhaps she was misreading the flames' reflection dancing across her cheeks. The thought left a strange taste in her mouth that Robin quickly washed down with some soda. _They'd be cute together._

"Hey, Robin! I just had the most amazing idea!" Lissa suddenly called, snapping her out of her thoughts. Everyone nearby stopped to look at the younger girl, standing up and looking at Robin with a wild glint in her eyes. "How about you come live with one of us?!"

"Huh?"

There was silence for a second as Lissa's words sunk in, and then everyone looked around at each other. Nobody really said anything after a while, but Lissa didn't back down. "Wouldn't that be great? You won't ever feel left out, and you can be out here, and it's not like you need someone who knows everything about you, you just need someone that knows you well enough!"

Robin cleared her throat, hoping that the pinkness of her cheeks wasn't too obvious. "Lissa, that's a really great idea," she said softly. "It's just not practical. I mean, I've only just met most everyone here, and not to mention that everyone has their own lives and jobs, there's no way I could –"

"Frederick and I have a spare room," said Chrom, rising to his feet. Robin stopped short, turning to look at him as he joined them across the fire. "We've just been using it for storage, but it wouldn't be difficult to clean it up for you." Robin blinked. He couldn't possibly be serious. However, he had a look in his eyes that was reminiscent of Lissa's own mischief, and with a turn of her stomach, Robin realized he was.

"Now wait a second, don't just go inviting strangers into our home without at least discussing it with me!" said Frederick, eyes narrowed a little bit. "We don't know anything about her! She could be an addict, or a murderer of some kind!"

Lissa giggled, waving away Frederick's worries. "We didn't find a single bit of any sort of drug in her system when Chrom brought her in," she pointed out. "And you seemed to like her well enough a minute ago."

While the two of them continued bickering, Chrom nodded his head a little for Robin to follow him away from the discussion. "I'm sorry, I didn't ask you what you wanted," he said softly, keeping his voice a little lower. "We're over here talking about your future and you haven't said a word about it."

"It's just a little overwhelming, I guess," she admitted. "A few minutes ago, the idea of leaving the hospital seemed like a pipe dream. He nodded, glancing back over at Lissa and Frederick. Robin followed his gaze. "He doesn't seem too thrilled with the idea." Chrom grinned, and she chanced another glance at him. She thought back to how Sumia had been looking at him all night, as if hoping that anything would catch his eye. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally step on anyone's toes…

Before she could politely turn him down, Lissa throw her hands into the air. "Then it's settled! Robin will go and live with Chrom and Frederick while she tries to figure out who she is!"

A few people laughed, some even whistled or applauded, but Frederick had a stony look on his face and Robin couldn't seem to look past it. "Don't worry too much," Chrom said, leading her back over to the bonfire. "He's always like that."

Robin chanced a look over at Sumia while the two of them talked, hoping she hadn't upset her. She seemed well enough, talking with Sully about something or other. She found herself relaxing a little bit; the last thing she wanted to do was hurt anyone after they had so graciously welcomed her into their inner circle.

Besides, she thought as she turned her attention back to Chrom, they were only friends. No need to worry.

~x~

Author's Note: Tada! :D And soon we'll be moving right along! Next chapter I'm going to start introducing some of the more important factors of the story, so I hope you guys all like it!


	5. Chapter 4: A Day in Town

**Through The Fire**

~x~

A/N: Sorry again for the delay, I really didn't intend for this update to take so long… Please forgive me!

~x~

**Chapter Four: A Day in Town**

It didn't take long for Robin to settle into life with Chrom and Frederick. They were respectful of her need for privacy, and she did her best to stay out of their way. The home itself was a little on the smaller side, with only two bedrooms – Frederick slept in the basement – and a single full bathroom for all of them to share. It got crowded at times, but due to their schedule, Robin was the one that was home most often.

The two of them worked the same shift at the fire department, which operated in a twenty four hour cycle. Twenty four hours on duty, twenty four hours off. It got a little lonely at times, but Lissa made sure to stop by a few times a week, usually bringing one or two of her friends along. Since the weather was still nice, there had been more than one day where the boys invited over some of their other friends to watch a game or have a bonfire. Even on the days they did work, Robin mostly found herself heading into town, which was only a fifteen minute walk, and browsing through shops she couldn't afford or books she wanted to read.

She had, of course, been hoping that this would eventually bring her to someone that recognized her. No such luck yet. More than once, in the three weeks she had been living with them, Robin considered the pros and cons of finding a job of her own so that she could support herself. When she brought it up to Chrom, however, he was quick to reassure her that she was not a burden on them at all.

Still, though. It would feel good to be useful.

One morning, Robin awoke to the smell of bacon cooking, a sleepy smile spreading across her cheeks. The boys didn't cook much, unless it was burgers for a bonfire or the occasional chicken dinner, so this was a pleasant surprise. Mouth drooling a little bit, Robin kicked the blankets off and followed the smell to the kitchen.

To her surprise, Chrom was the one standing in front of the stove, not Frederick as she had assumed. Frederick did most of the cooking – he was an excellent chef – and, as far as she could remember, Robin had not seen Chrom cooking before.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully when he noticed her standing in the doorway. He was dressed in a grey t-shirt and a pair of sweats that hung loosely off his hips. "Not often you're up after me."

Robin grinned, taking a seat at the table. Chrom, unlike Frederick, was prone to sleeping in late, sometimes not leaving his room until well after noon. "It's only ten," she said, nodding to the microwave clock. "Are you feeling all right?"

He laughed, the sound as pleasant to her ears as the smell of bacon was to her tastes. "I'm great," he said. "Today is the start of my three consecutive says off, so I thought I'd want to celebrate with some bacon and eggs." Robin noticed that, hiding in a pan next to the bacon, Chrom was skillfully moving the yellow liquid around in the pan as it solidified. "And, you know, it feels like it's been a while since we had a chance to hang out," he added, this time not looking over his shoulder. "So I thought it'd be fun to spend a day in the city."

He wanted to spend his day off with her? Robin felt her cheeks heat a little, but blamed that to the heat of the stove and the room. "Yeah, I'd like that," she said, coughing into her hand. He grinned at her over his shoulder for a second before returning to the stove, carefully making sure nothing burned. "Where's Frederick?"

"He is currently at Sumia and Cordelia's apartment, helping them move some furniture around." Chrom stepped back from the stove and turned both burners off, sprinkling some cheese onto the eggs and laying a lid over. "He won't be home until after dinner, he said." Robin nodded, watching as he grabbed two tall glasses from the cupboard. "Milk or orange juice?"

"Milk," Robin said immediately. He nodded and placed both glasses on the table. "Do you want my help with anything?"

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I don't really get a chance to, you know, serve people or anything. It's nice, for a change." Robin grinned. So this is what Ylisse's royal family was like. "What?" he asked, pausing at the stove when he caught the look on her face.

Robin's cheeks darkened again. "Nothing," she said, laughing a little. "Just not really what you'd expect from the ruling family." He grinned again before turning to the bacon and scooping a few strips onto the plate, followed by some eggs. He set the first plate in front of her and she immediately dug in, stomach growling from want.

They were delicious. Just the right texture and fluffiness for the eggs, and the bacon was that perfect crunch to bite and melt in your mouth. "Mmm," Robin said appreciatively, taking another forkful of eggs. "This is amazing!"

"Thank you, thank you." Chrom laughed, joining her at the table with his own plate. "My sister, Emm, taught me to make these. She always said it was important that we could all cook breakfast, since it was the most important meal of the day." His face turned thoughtful for a second before he took a massive bite of the eggs.

Robin watched him for a second. He spoke of Emmeryn so reverently, it made her sad that she was still in Plegia. "Well, she taught you well," Robin said instead, smiling a little. He caught her eye and returned the smile before the two of them finished the meal in hungry silence.

When everything had been devoured, Robin leaned back in her chair, one hand over her stomach. "I don't think I've ever had such a delicious breakfast," she said happily, other hand wiping away the milk from her upper lip. "Really, Chrom, you should do this more often."

He laughed. "Maybe," he told her, getting to his feet. Before he could take her plate, however, Robin jumped up, snatching hers out of reach.

"Let me do the dishes," she insisted. He opened his mouth to argue but stopped as her eyes lowered in a slight glare. "Thank you." He sat back down as she gathered them up, rinsing them off before loading it in the dishwasher, and scrapping the two pans off. "Any word on when Emmeryn will return?"

She didn't need to be looking to feel the dark cloud that crossed his eyes. "Not yet," he told her, and she heard him slump against his chair. "Gangrel is being completely unreasonable. Now he's saying that he'll end it all if she gives him the Fire Emblem."

"What's that?"

"It's my family's royal crest. It's just a shield with some gemstones, but it's been passed down through my family for some two thousand years or so," he explained with a sigh. "Supposedly, it was used as a real shield for the ancestor that began our rule, and it kept him alive during his battles, but now it just hangs up in the meeting room back home. It's just a decoration now, so Emm has no idea why he would even want it, but she's not about to hand away our heritage just because some lunatic wants her to."

Robin bit a laugh back at his tone. It was clear that he had no interest in dealing with Gangrel, and she could only imagine how frustrated Emmeryn must be by now. "Well, these things can't go on forever, can they?" she asked, rinsing the pan off one more time to make sure she got all the soap off. "Surely they can't keep her there forever."

"No, but he can try," he told her, voice carrying a sense of finality to show that he was finished speaking about Gangrel. It was a sore topic for him, the cause of his sister's absence. Robin finished the dishes quickly, drying her hands on a small towel that hung over the door to the stove. "Alright! Go get ready, and I'll finally show you everything that Ylisstol has to offer!"

She grinned and left him sitting there, grabbing a pair of fresh clothes – curtesy of a shopping day that Sumia, Cordelia, Cherche, and Olivia took her on right after she moved in – and retreating into the bathroom. To her horror, Robin found her hair a complete mess. The long strands looked oily, and she soon remember that she had meant to shower immediately after getting up. Blushing fiercely that Chrom had been so casual with her when she looked like such a mess, she turned the hot water on and stepped in as soon as she could.

The water felt nice going down her shoulders, much better than the uneven showerhead at the hospital, and she let herself relax and enjoy it. She took her time, slightly amused as the steam filled the room from her scalding shower.

"Hello?!"

Chrom's voice broke her out of her reverie, and she quickly called back that she'd been done soon, grateful again that Frederick had installed a lock on the door for her privacy. "Hello?!" To her surprise, the shower curtain was moved aside, and through the steam, she saw Chrom's blue hair before her eyes landed on his face; jaw dropped a little, eyes wide and staring.

Robin screamed, trying to cover herself with her hands. "What are you _doing_?!"

"R-Robin?!" he gasped, finally closing his jaw.

"Chrom! Can you please just _wait outside_!" she cried, grabbing the shower curtain to cover herself now. Realization must have hit him and he disappeared, slamming the door behind him. Robin remained where she was, staring at the spot his head had been with cheeks bright red. She waited until her heartbeat slowed down before turned the water off. She remained in the tub, letting the water run down her body for a few seconds before pulling the shower curtain aside once more to grab her towel.

When she was dry and dressed, she finally left the bathroom, looking around. Chrom was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands, and she could see a faint blush that extended all the way to the tips of his ears. "Chrom," she said, clearing her throat. He jumped up, cheeks as red as hers, refusing to meet her gaze. "_Why_ did you just walk in like that?"

"I'm sorry!" he said immediately. "I thought I heard the front door open so I thought Frederick had come home early and then I heard the shower start so I thought he went right to the bathroom and your door was closed, so –"

Robin sighed. "It's…fine," she said, also finding it difficult to meet his gaze. "Let's just, forget it happened." He nodded quickly, clearing his throat. "So, are you all ready?"

"Yeah," he said, finally meeting her gaze. "Um, Robin? I really am sorry," he said again. "I would never intentionally just walk in on you like that. I know it must be weird, living with two guys, but we really do respect that and your need for privacy…"

He was so sincere, it was hard not to smile. "No worries," she said reassuringly. "Really. It was a mistake." She paused for a second before laughing. "I'll just have to be more careful about making sure I lock the door." He returned the smile, grateful that she wasn't angry. "Now, come on."

The day was another nice one, promising to be hot later, but the two of them decided to walk anyways. It was too nice to be stuck in a car all day, and this way they wouldn't have to deal with trying to find a parking spot. As they walked, Chrom told her more stories of his and Lissa's upbringing, how neither of them had ever really taken to the old fashioned teachings the way that Emmeryn had. His stories made her laugh, and she could only just imagine a smaller Chrom and an even smaller Lissa running around the massive mansion they had grown up in, wreaking havoc for the staff and their parents. He didn't seem to mind that she had no stories of her own to tell, content with sharing his own, and by the time they reached the city, Robin's sides hurt from laughter.

"How about we start with some ice cream?" Chrom suggested, gesturing towards a small ice cream shop. Robin had noticed it a few times in her own visits, but had never bothered to go inside. "They make everything fresh in store, it's delicious."

Before she could respond, he was already heading over, not bothering to look behind to see if she was following. Robin laughed a little to herself, following him closely so she didn't get lost in the crowd. _What a dork_, she thought, trying to ignore the little butterflies that had taken residence in her stomach. The inside was crowded, and Robin suspected that they were not the only ones spending a day in the city. Still, the line didn't seem to deter Chrom, and he just spent their time waiting explaining some of the more unique flavor names while Robin tried to ignore the prices.

Chrom ordered them both a chocolate single scoop, and handed the cashier his credit card before Robin could say anything about it. "Really, Chrom, you don't have to pay for me," she tried to say, but he shook his head.

"You don't have any money, and I've got more than I need," he explained, handing her the cone. "No one's going to complain if I spend some."

Unable to argue, the two of them exited the little shop, walking away from the crowd down a smaller side street. The ice cream was every bit as delicious as she had hoped, and the two of them ate it faster than the sun could melt it, licking the drips off their hands. "So," he said after they had found a place to wash the stickiness off. "Anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"

Robin considered for a second, looking around to see if anything caught her eye. Three tall figures were walking down the next street over, each of them wearing long purple and gold cloaks despite the hot weather. She watched them curiously, eyes narrowing a little. The one in front, whose cloak was a great deal more ornate than the others, was carrying a large, old looking book. They disappeared before she could read the title, and she turned back to Chrom, surprised to see that he had been watching them too. "Chrom? Who were those people?"

He sighed, rubbing the back of his hair. "They're part of the Grimleal. It's the national religion of Plegia. They don't normally come around to Ylisstol, since the Temple of Naga is in the center of town." Robin blinked, pressing him for more information. "The Grimleal worship the Fell Dragon, Grima, while the Church of Naga worships the Divine Dragon, Naga. We have all the same stories and rituals, mostly, we just worship two different aspects of the history."

"How come they're dressed like that?" asked Robin, looking around to see if anyone else was. Just them.

"That's how the high priests dress," Chrom told her with a shrug. "We don't have any Grimleal churches nearby, but we could go to the Temple of Naga if you want."

Robin nodded, interested in this religion. As he led her back through the streets, he pointed out the building in question, a large temple that stood in the middle of the market square. Robin's eyes traced over the beautiful stone sculptures that went around the side, some faces and some dragons. She had seen it before – it was hard to miss – but hadn't given it much thought. However, now that they were getting closer, she found herself almost excited. Had she been religious before? Maybe this would be the link between her past and present.

As they walked up the stone steps, Chrom led the way, navigating them through a crowd of people leaving. "Are we interrupting a service?" Robin asked, noticing the formal way they were dressed.

"No, we shouldn't be. The place is open all the time, so it gets a lot of tourists."

Once they entered, Robin soon understood why tourists seemed to flock here. The inside was every bit as beautiful and magnificent as the outside suggested, with a towering ceiling and rows of cherry wood pews. The air was cooler here, probably due to the stone interior. What wasn't covered in carpet or large curtains was the same sun-bleached stone as the exterior, and Robin briefly wondered how old the building was. Chrom gently nudged her, moving them both out of the way. "Do you remember Libra? Our friend from the party," he asked, voice a little hushed. Still mesmerized by the wonders of this church, Robin could only nod, unable to take her eyes off one of the stained glass windows. "He actually works here."

"Really?" Robin asked, finally tearing her eyes away. Chrom nodded, gesturing up to the front of the massive church. She followed, eyes landing on a semi-familiar face standing up by the pulpit, nodding at the various tourists that came over. "Can we go talk to him?"

Chrom nodded again, and the two carefully made their way over, maneuvering through the crowd that had gathered. Robin kept looking around, trying to take everything in; though nothing was sparking any sort of familiarity, it was still a sight to behold. "Hey Libra," Chrom called, waving at his friend as they made way up. He turned at the sound of his name, graceful features surprised for a second before smiling.

"Hello Chrom, Robin," he said with a slight wave. "What brings you to the Temple of Naga?"

Chrom quickly explained that he was showing Robin around town a little, and the man turned to her with a smile. "If I had known you were interested, I would have gladly escorted you myself," he said. "I hope you can forgive me."

Robin blinked. She hadn't really spoken to him too much during their time together at the party, so hearing his outdated sounding speech was a little bit of a shocker. "Oh, of course," she said, waving his apology away. "You're fine. What do you do here?"

"I am a pastor of this great Temple," Libra said. "I work to help the children of the city, give them a place to stay when there's nowhere left to go." They stayed to talk for a while longer, listening to Libra tell them about his duties as a pastor and all the work around the city he did. Robin nodded along with rapt attention, silently hoping for something that might spark a memory. There was nothing. "Oh, Chrom, I'm not sure if Miriel has had the chance to tell you," Libra said after a few moments, green eyes lighting up. "She's expecting!"

Robin blinked, watching as Chrom's own expression went from surprise to happiness. "That's great!" he said with a laugh. "Congrats!" For a few seconds, she watched them in a sort of blank wondering before she finally realized what they were saying.

"You and Miriel are having a child?" she asked before she could stop herself. Robin felt her cheeks turn pink, and she quickly added, "I mean, you two are married? I didn't know that!"

Libra chuckled a little, nodding. "Yes, we've been married for about two years," he said. "About three months ago, we decided we wanted to have a child. The doctor said she's only a couple weeks along, but we're still very thrilled."

"Oh, of course!" Robin said, quickly offering her own congratulations. The two of them gushed over the news for a little bit before someone called Libra's name, calling him away. With a final wave goodbye, Chrom and Robin left to continue exploring the city. "I can't believe that Miriel and Libra are married!" Robin said as they left the cool church. "I can't believe I didn't notice it at the party."

Chrom laughed a little. "They aren't very affectionate in public," he said. "It actually took us months to even learn that they were dating! Nothing at all like Gaius and Olivia."

"What?"

Chrom looked over at her, laughing again at her surprised expression. "You didn't catch onto that?" he asked. Robin felt her cheeks flush, feeling guilty that she hadn't picked up on something like that from the people she was trying to befriend. At Robin's insistence, Chrom informed her of everyone else among the Shepherd's that were dating. "Well, Gaius and Olivia, clearly. Though they've been engaged for a few months now. And Vaike and Nowi, they've been dating _forever_. Maribelle and Ricken actually started dating when they were in middle school, and got married about a year after high school. Gregor and Sully have been dating a while now, so have Kellam and Panne. And Virion and Cherche have been married about a year or so."

Robin blinked, surprised that so many of his friends had paired off like that. "Wow," she said after a moment, slowly processing everything. Now that he mentioned it, of course, it all seemed rather obvious. "Have you guys all been friends since childhood?"

"Not all of us. Frederick, Vaike, Stahl, Sumia, Cordelia, Sully, and I all grew up together. Same for Ricken, Maribelle, Kellam, and Lissa. Miriel, Libra, and Emmeryn were friends, too. Virion and Cherche met Emm through some political meeting or whatever, and Olivia, Gaius, and Lon'qu came to Ylisse when Flavia and Basilio transferred from Regna Ferox," Chrom explained, ticking off his finger. "And the others we met when they started dating them."

Robin listened, trying to follow as best she could. When he was done, she nodded, but didn't say anything else. She didn't know if it was purely because of the subject of conversation or what, but she couldn't help wondering if there was someone that _he_ thought he might one day date from his little friend group.

The thought came out seemingly of nowhere but, for some reason, it was one that she couldn't quite shake, not even well into the following night.

~x~

**Author's Note: **SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. School and work and life have been kicking me around lately, so writing has been a little difficult. But! I do have most of the story planned out, so there's that! I also graduate from college in less than a month (!) so hopefully that'll give me more time to actually sit down and type everything out.

Thank you all for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I hope it wasn't too boring…


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